Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) cruised to Congress in 2008 winning by a whopping 17 points over scandal-ridden then-Rep. Rick Renzi (R).
But the 1st district went for John McCain 54% to 44% in the same election, giving Republicans hope that they can take back the district in what should be a better cycle for them in 2010--especially because they won't have a tainted candidate on their hands.
The GOP field is pretty uncertain so far, but the two frontrunners for the nomination appear to be dentist Paul Gosar (who is a member of the NRCC's third-tiered "On the Radar" recruiting program) and former state Sen. Rusty Bowers, a former lobbyist. Attorney Bradley Beauchamp is also running. The primary is on August 24.
Since taking office, Kirkpatrick has been surprisingly faithful to her party given the conservative nature of her district, only voting against them on one of the Democratic leadership's big-ticket items: cap-and-trade. She has earned a spot on the DCCC's "Frontline" program for vulnerable Democratic incumbents.
PVI: R+6
Ann Kirkpatrick*: Raised $272,000 in Q1; $793,000 cash-on-hand
Paul Gosar: Raised $74,000 in Q1; $169,000 cash-on-hand
Rusty Bowers: Raised $64,000 in Q1; $32,000 cash-on-hand
Current Rating: Likely DEM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment